Is there life after government service? Short answer: Yes. A retired fed tells how his agency's bureaucratic ways turned him into a late-blooming "R.O.M.E.O.," gave him a life-long friend and introduced him to the man who shared a North Vietnamese prison cell with Sen. John McCain.

During the height of the Cold War, there was only one entry-way through the Berlin Wall. Everybody had to pass through Checkpoint Charlie. That's now ancient history for some people but very real to many feds and vets who were literally on the front line, like today's guest columnist.

For a lot of people, the Cold War seems almost like a surreal event. But for decades, it was a very real, at times very hot, war. And there are probably some people in your office who are bona fide cold warriors, like today's guest columnist.

When you go from intern to top manager and then, later, to retiree, you learn a lot. Today we hear from a NARFE local president who says the phased retirement program, when it starts, could be a great thing for young workers and old-timers, too.

If you are contemplating retirement, there are lots of things to consider: Your health, goals, new income level and where you want to live. There is also one word you need to start using, according to a recent Forest Service retiree. That magic word: No!